A long battle against Indian 'army impunity'

Irom Sharmila, an activist, has been on hunger strike since 2000 in protest against the killing of 10 civilians by the Indian army.

Sharmila's demand is the scrapping of a security law, imposed in 1958, in her home state of Manipur.

The law, Armed Forces Special Powers Act, is only in effect in India-administered Kashmir and in the country's northeastern region.

Under it, Indian soldiers can arrest, search and even shoot to kill suspects, and also gives troops immunity from prosecution.

The Indian government says it is necessary to fight a number of armed groups, but human-rights groups have criticised the law, saying it goes against the Geneva Conventions.

Al Jazeera's Prerna Suri reports from Imphal, India.